Abstract

Current research on social integration and mental health operationalizes social integration as frequency of interactions and participation in social activities (i.e., social contact). This neglects the subjective dimension of social integration, namely group identification. We present two studies comparing the effect exerted by social contact and group identification on mental health (e.g., depression, stress) across two different groups (family; army unit), demonstrating that group identification predicts mental health better than social contact. Methodologically, our findings show the necessity to include group identification measures as indicators of social integration, in empirical research; theoretically, they support social identity researchers’ contention that group identification is a central mechanism in the processes leading from social integration to health.